Tire.



' Y E. '1". GREBNPIELD.

TIRE. I v

A'rrnmulon nun 39.8.,1906.

ATTORNEY a PATBNTBD A G; 11, 1903; I

,pUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

EDWIN T. GREENFIELD, OF KIAMESH'A, NEW YORK TIRE;

. No 895,452. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

' \a Application filed January 24,1906. Serial No. 297,646. t

To all 720m it may concern: j

Be it known that. I, EDWIN T. GREEN- FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residin at Kiamesha, in the county of Sullivan and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tires, .of which the following is a specification.

This invention-relates to resilient tires for use on the wheels of vehicles, articularly heavy vehicles such as those having self-propelling mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a tire which, while possessing the requisite rcsiliency, is strong enough to withstand the rough usage to whiclrit is necessarily subjected, and to thisend the tire is so constructed that the resiliency is obtained without using an inflatable tube which is. liable to be punctured, though I may, in ac- 'cordance with my invention, employ such a tube and so rotect it with an outer casing or shoe that t e possibility of puncturing 1s practically eliminated.

Other auxiliary objects of the invention are to provide a tire havin a tread composed of a plurality of metallic plates which referably interlock each with the plates a jacent thereto, and devices for forcing these plates radially outward with avielding pressure, the plates being preferably formed with transverse ridges which, by gripping the roadway, serve to prevent slipping and skidding. In accordance with my invention, I employ such a tread consisting of metallic plates and in combination therewith systems of to gle-lever's for supporting and positioning t c tread-plates; these toggle-levers are acted upon by devices for holdin the tread-plates yieldingly in position, an for this purpose I may use springs tending to straighten the toggles, or, if desired, I may ernIploy an inflatable tube.

. have illustrated the preferred embodiment of-iny invention, and also a modified .form thereof, in the accompanying drawings,

in which Figure 1 1s a sectional elevation ofa portion of the tire, Fig. 2 is a view of one of the tread-plates and its sup orting devices, Fig. v iie line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 isa' top view of one of the tread-plates, and Fig. 5 1s a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a modification. Referring to these drawings, A indicates the spokes of the wheel, B the telly, and C the hoop or rim, preferably of meta which encircles the telly B. The tire consists of, a shoe formed of aplurality of similar interlocking metallic plates D and toggles for i Theyieldingly sup orting these plates.

is best shown in Fi s. 1 and shape of plates 4, in which it will be seen that cacli of the 7 plates is provided with one or more ridges d which extend transversely of the tire when the plates are assembled and which by gripping the roadway prevent slipping and skidding. Also, each plate has at its sides outwardly and inwardly turned flanges d, b-

end of link F being pivotall connected to a supporting plate H secured by a bolt h to the rim C. ach of these pivotal connections is preferably formed by bifurcating the end of one of the parts to be'connected and inserting a pivot-pin through openings in the bifurcated arms and 'an opening through the end of the other link which lies between these arms. The preferred construction of this pivotal connection is illustrated in Fi 3, in which the bifurcated arms f, f, of the link F, are shown as pivoted to the end of link G by a pin I, whic extends through an 0 en ing in the end of link G and the ends of w rich are received in sockets formed-in plugs i, i, which are threaded into openings in the arms f, f. The link G is countersunk about the ends of the opening for pin I to receive washers '2', against which the ends of plugs 'i, i, abut. In the side of pin I is alongitndinal groove, adindicated at i, and in one or both of-the plugsi is a radial opening 1'), adapted to communicate with thegroovs i in pm I, so

that by loosenin the plug 4', the openin i may be filled with in rioating oil, which w 1811 the lug is returned to its normal osition will ow slowly out into and along t e groove 1', in pin I. In order to hold the plugs i in osition and prevent the jarring of the'veicle from causing them to work oose, I provide set-screws i entering ope: gs adjacent to the openin s for the plugs 11 and the heads of which overlie the ends of the plugs.

Each of the tread-plates D preferably has a gfiard J formedintegral therewith, which 1 rest the straightening movement of the toggle 1 when the plate D carried thereby has been pressed outwardly to its normal position. Each link G has also an inwardly extending. rejection I having an opening therethrough or connection of the devices which serve tp straighten the toggles.

1 Referring now to Fig. 3, I will describe the arran ement of the springs which act to straighten the toggles, that is, move them toward the position in which the two links of the toggle are in alinernent to restore the parts to the positions shown in Fig. 2, and thus force the tread-plates D outwardly with ayieldin pressure. A yoke L extends 5 throu h t e oening in the projection Icon link and the arms of tlns yoke extend through openings in two cross-heads Z, Z. The'ends of these arms are threaded to receive nuts Z by which the cross-head Z is po 3 sitioned upon the arms of the yoke. A pin M hasan eye at one end, by which the pin is secured to the projection I: opposite that -to which the yoke L'is connected, and this pin extends through openin s in the cross-heads Z and Z, its end being threaded to receive a nut Z, by which cross-head Z is positioned upon the pin. Coiled about the arms of yoke L is a spring N, the ends of which engage the cross-heads Z, Z. Coiled about't-he pin M, 40 within the arms of yoke L, is asecond spring .1, the ends of which also bear upon the crossheads'Z, Z. Preferably, a washer'n' is secured upon pin M about midway between the cross-heads Z, Z, to hold spring'n in posi- 5 tion. A pair of to gle-levers and springs therefor constructs in the manner above dc scribed are preferably provided for each of 'the treadlates ,D, as lllustratedin Fig. 1,

6% ad it will e seen that when any tiead-plate strikes a projection in the roadway the two toggles supportin the plate, each composed of the links F and G, will buckle against the tension of springs N and n to ermit the tread-plate to be pressed radiall inward and thus avoid jarr ng the vehicle ody, and as soon as the obstruction is passed the iate will be pressed outwardly to its norms. po-

sition again. The outward movement of 50 each plate is limited bv the coact-ionof the projections K with the links F.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated'a shghtly modified form of tire, in which instead of the springs N and n for straightenin the two 5 toggles which support each of the treadplates, I employ an inflatable tube 0, the 1 eads of bolts h being countersunkand the projections k omitted, so that a casing havmg a smooth interioris prox'ided for the tube.

It will readily be seen that when the tube is inflated it will serve to yieldingly hold the.

toggles and thetread-plates in their normal positions.

In both of the tires illustrated and'described herein,the outer sho or casing consisting of interlocking metallic lat-es togather with the guards J integra with the plates, forms an ample protection for the other parts of the tire against injury thereto byobstructions in the roadway. As the p a tes D are comparatively narrow and.

inovable each relatively to the plates adja cent thereto, the shoe possesses quite as much flexibility as is necessary. By varying the positions of the nuts Z and Z, the tension of springs N and n can be changed to adjust the resiliency of the tire and in the form of my invention shown in Fig. 5, the pressure within the tube can be regulated for tho same purpose. In both of the forms, any obstruction in the roadway will buckle the toggles supporting the plates engaged thereby and as soon as the obstruction is passed the toggles will be straightened by the springs or by the inllated tube until further relative movement of the links of the I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:-

i 1. In a tire, a shoe comprising a plurality of interlocked metallic glazes, a pair of toggles supporting each p ate, the toggles of toggles is prevented by the project-ions K.

Having now described m invention, whateach pair lying in a plane transverse to the general plane-of the tire, and means for straightening the toggles, substantially as set forth.

' 2. In a tire, a shoe comprising a plurality of interlocked metallic ql8t95, a pair of tog' gles supporting each ate, the toggles of each pair. lying in a. plane transverse to the general plane of the tire, and a spring. connecting the toggles of a pair and acting thereon to straighten them, substantially as set forth.

3. In a tire, a shoe comprising a plurality of interlocked metallic plates, a pair of toggles su porting each plate, means for acting on sai toggles to straighten the same, an adjusting devices for varying the power of set forth.

4. In a tire, a hoop, a plurality of supports fsairl straightening means, substantially as 3 the same, and

. togglesl A emng the toggles substantiall '8. In a tire, a shoe com risiiig a plurality- 5. In a tire, a shoe comprising a plurality of interlocked metallic plates, a pair of toggles supporting each p ate, the toggles of each pair lVfi;"in 8pl&Il0.tI&nSV6r S8 i" the general plane of the tire, and aspring connecting the toggles of each pair and actin thereon to straighten them, each of sai springs being disposed substantially trans- -verse to a radiusof the tire passing througi:

it, substantially as set forth.

6. In a tire, a shoecompn'sing a plurality of interlocked metallic plates, a air of to gles yieldingly sup orting each p ate. guards or protecting sai togg es, and means for straightening the toggles, substantially as set forth.

7. In' a tire, ashoecomprising a plurality of interlocked metallic plates, a lurality of 1 side by side and yie dingly supporting sai plates and means for straightas set forth.

of metallic plates, a pair 0 toggles yieldingly sup rting each of said plates, guards on sea plates overlying the ends ofsaid tog les andmeans for straightening the togg es,

sumtantially as descri ed.

9. In a tire,- a shoe comprising a plurality 'of interlocking metallic plates, 3 pair of tog 3O gles yieldingly su portin each of said plates, meansacting on t e togg es for straights means for the straightening movement of the toggle substantially as described. I 10. In a tire, a shoe com risin a plurality I of metallic plates, a pair oi toggles supporting each of said plates, springs each acting on and means for adjusting the tension of the springs, substantially as described. 11. In a tire, a shoe comprising a plurality of metallic lates and means for supporting each of said plates comprising a pair of togles, 9. spring between said toggles, crossheads between which said spring is compressed and means connecting each of-said cross-heads'to one of said toggles, substantially as described.

12. In a tire, a shoe comprising a plurality;

the toggles of a pair to straighten the same,

5o plates comprising a palr of tog-.- 

